Page 73 of Scorned

“Shall we repeat it?” Delaney asked, and I shook my head.

I sure as hell didn’t want to hear it a third time. “That’s okay. I understand.”

“Then we shall be off after I say my goodbyes.” Shayla stepped up to me and took my hand in hers. “The one you love has suffered tremendous damage and he will need more than your blood can give. Be patient, be kind, and be strong.” I took her words as more confirmation of Luka being alive. My heart raced and tears formed as she smiled. “Your new eyes will see the beauty this world has to offer.”

Shayla dropped my hand and headed toward Winnie, and he shook his head. “You know I prefer not to know my future.”

“Very well.”

Next she went to April who was holding Scarlet. Shayla pulled the blanket back from the baby’s head before gently placing her hand on it. “She is so happy in your arms.” Shayla slid her hand onto April’s forearm. “When the day arrives and you’re exhausted, completely questioning your choices, remember it’s normal for mothers to experience stress. The love you hold for her is pure. Unstoppable. It may have not been said aloud, but fate has decided it. Scarlet is yours and you are hers.”

April’s lip quivered. “Thank you.”

Zeke stiffened when Shayla turned toward him and took his hand. “Your child may not resemble you nor April, but will carry the proud Alexander name. Don’t fret, Ezekiel. You’ll be an amazing father to many children.” His face was in full-blown shock when she let go.

Shayla moved on to Lyric who wasn’t sitting with Winnie tonight, and had a nervous expression on her face.

“Don’t fret, little one,” Shayla said, her voice kind.

Lyric hesitated, then slowly raised her hand to Shayla.

“Lyric Sofia Muldova, you shall receive the love your kind soul deserves. Even if it does not come from the one you want. Decisions have to be made before I can tell you more.”

Lyric sucked in a breath and looked at Winnie with concerned eyes. Without saying a word, he stood and headed toward his cabin.

I questioned whether genuine happiness could exist if the most passionate couple I knew couldn’t find a way to fix their lives.

Shayla strolled up to Peach who had her hands clasped together. After a long sigh, she relented. “I’ve never liked this, but you know I can’t resist.”

Peach raised her hand and Shayla took it. “The value you put on yourself is much lower than anyone else sees. Especially him.” Shayla nodded her head toward Marcus. “You have prevailed from many trials in your extremely long life, this I know. You should not box out love because of it. If fate is not tested, then he’ll never break your heart.”

Shayla turned her attention to Marcus with a huge smile that quickly turned concerned when she took his hand. “Marcus Henry Alexander, you, my dear, are a force to be reckoned with. You are a perfect trifecta, physically, intellectually, and emotionally strong. Those three traits rarely meet to form such greatness. It’s unfortunate the road ahead is unclear. Depending on the decisions of others, your path can diverge in two different directions. For the sake of the prophecy and everyone involved, I hope he chooses wisely. A soul like yours is too rare to lose.”

She dropped Marcus’s hand and I witnessed a glimpse of something I’d never seen from him before—fear. My stomach twisted as concern filled me.

Shayla moved on to Vivi who happily held out her hand. “Viviana Jade Rodriguez, my sister, my friend. Your pain will not end as quickly as you desire. Until then—”

Vivi yanked her hand away and bolted out of her seat, heading toward the woods, and a heaviness weighed on my chest.

“I do not understand why you insist on reading her,” Delaney uttered, holding out her hand. The golden snake tattoo returned to its original form and slithered up her arm, wrapping around her neck. “You always have the same results.”

“Her light has faded, a sister no more.”

Shayla turned toward Cece, her face calm. “We have had this discussion, sister. Viviana being fanged doesn’t exempt her from our coven responsibilities. As a born witch, even in fanged death, she is still family.”

My brows rose, a million questions trampling my thoughts.

If Vivi is a witch, is Winnie one too?

Are they called male witches?

Mitches?

Oh my god, is Winnie a Warlock?

“Still family, still family,” Cece whispered, bringing me out of my overthinking brain. “I love her.”

“We all do,” Shayla said with a concerned expression that dropped when she made her way around the camp.

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